The Road

Synopsis: A twelve-year-old cold case is reopened when three teens are missing in an abandoned road. In the course of the investigation, deeper and gruesome stories of adbuction and murders are discovered. After more than two decades, the secrets of the haunted road may finally be revealed.

*

*

Trailer:

Reviews:

4.0 Rito Asilo (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

“Despite its share of flaws and some lapses in “practical logic” (Rhian runs in the middle of the road as her abductor gives chase, etc.), the film has a riveting fictional framework whose gripping sections can stand on their own, each with distinctive hues and color palettes that help establish the required mood and atmosphere.” (Read full review)

4.0 Ria Limjap (Spot.ph)

“The film, which involves an old house on a quiet country road, is artfully constructed although not without a couple of loopholes. But I’m willing to overlook my nagging questions because The Road is a stylish and intelligently executed tale of superstition and revenge, tragedy and violence.” (Read full review)

4.0 Jowana Bueser (The Birth of Damnation)

“There is a difference between wanting to see the end of a movie because one cannot temper his interest and wanting see the end of a movie because one cannot wait to get out of the theater. Most of the mainstream horror flicks fall under the second reason but The Road is DEFINITELY NOT one of them.” (Read full review)

4.0 Forg Files

“The technical side of this horror movie is very polished, it was great to look at and captured the creepy mood very well. I like the fact that this movie didn’t resort to cheap scare tactics as it chooses to use the atmosphere to bring out the creeps.” (Read full review)

4.0 Ihcahieh

“The sound effects and the musical score blend quite well to foster a creepy atmosphere aided by cinematography that goes with the mood. The ghosts do not endorse any brand of baby powder which rids us of the over recycled ghost template we have been seeing over and over again as of late.” (Read full review)

3.5 Oggs Cruz (Film critic, Twitch)

” In the scope of what Laranas attempts to achieve, he more or less delivers a story that notwithstanding the multitude of its lapses, coheres with a laudable vision of violence that by its very nature and the extent of its corruption, disrespects the laws of both place and time.” (Read full review)

3.5 Philbert Dy (Resident critic, Click the City)

“The Road, like many horror films today, is insistent on providing some sort of twist, regardless of how little sense it actually makes. The whole package is still pretty good, but it’s difficult to ignore that particular misstep.” (Read full review)

3.5 Philippine Entertainment Portal

“What makes Yam Laranas’ film an unconventional horror flick is that it puts effort in leaving disturbing ideas in one’s head rather than aiming to shock or surprise an audience with hokey scenes of ghosts appearing point-blank.” (Read full review)

“You can say that the styles are unbalanced or that the editing could have been more polished. Most of all, you are free to spread the word that the storyline is predictable. Yet in spite of its noticeable flaws, I can’t help but defend the film for what it’s worth.” (Read full review)

3.0 Jeman Villanueva (Contributor, Orange Magazine TV)

“The movie is well directed. One thing that I like about this film is its cinematography and its hauntingly beautiful musical scoring… The only thing that bothers me though is the inclusion of Barbie Forteza. Her acting is a big disappointment for me.” (Read full review)

3.0 Mario Bautista (Film critic, Showbiz Portal)

“The movie has good cinematography and production design. The cast, as a whole, is uniformly fine, with Rhian, TJ, Carmina, Alden and Renz standing out. We just wish the script was polished and not riddled with bullet holes.” (Read full review)

3.0 Taking a Break

“Overall, The Road is a solid film. It’s not at par with Sigaw though, as that movie manages to make you overlook its faults out of sheer awesomeness. But The Road isn’t half bad. And it’s not a waste of money.” (Read full review)

3.0 Carl Papa (Whatever, Carl)

“It was creepily beautifully made, thanks to the fluid editing, direction, great cinematography and droning score. The ambiance was perfectly set, mood and feeling was there. But the story got in the way. It tried to explain a lot, in the end, more that it should have.” (Read full review)

“Hitchcock’s Psycho is an obvious influence and the film, in its best moments, offers genuine armrest-gripping scares. Its annoying ending, though, almost undoes its many virtues. I also would’ve liked a little less screech and a little more gnawing dread. Still, Laranas’ visual and atmospheric stamp makes this worth checking out.”

“Unquestionably one of the best photographed films of last year, but this is not even one of 2011’s best when it comes to storytelling and acting. Carmina Villaroel and Renz Valerio [the kid] stood out though in the company of drones.”

2.0 Json Javier (Member, Cinephiles)

“It falls under the ‘Ahhhh’ type of movie where every little detail needs to be explained lest the audience miss hidden motives before the big twist. I’m sure each segment would have worked better as a stand-alone movie. The excellent cinematography just can’t compensate for the tedium.”